Furno Materials has announced that it has been selected to receive a US$20 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC).
Furno’s first of a kind modular cement plant was selected along with twelve other projects across America to strengthen domestic supply chains, eliminate harmful emissions, and return jobs to communities impacted by local coal plant closures. Located in Chicago, Illinois, Project OZ will showcase a new model for low carbon cement production, powered by Furno’s breakthrough technology and supported by Ozinga, one of the largest independent concrete producers in the United States. Project OZ represents a major step toward onshoring cement production back to the US and transforming the cement industry with a new model for decarbonised, modular cement production.
Furno Materials was founded with a clear mission: to standardise, decarbonise, and decentralise cement production. This mission drives Furno’s work to transform an industry responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions and bring innovative, modular, low-carbon cement solutions to markets across the U.S. and beyond.
Project OZ: A New Era for U.S. Cement Production
Cement production in the U.S. has been stagnant for years. The last major plant was built over a decade ago, while cement imports have tripled during that time to meet growing demand. With regulatory pressure mounting to decarbonise the cement industry, Project OZ presents a timely and necessary solution.
“Furno Materials’ vision is to make cement production accessible for everyone anywhere. We do this by building plants that are standardised, decentralised, and decarbonised,” said Gurinder Nagra, CEO of Furno Materials. “Project OZ brings this vision to life by combining our advanced kiln technology with Ozinga’s industry expertise to produce the same high-performance cement, but with far fewer emissions. This plant will demonstrate how we can rapidly onshore production and drive down carbon emissions at scale. The Department of Energy’s funding accelerates our vision, and we look forward to working with the DOE on this project to produce clean cement directly at the demand site.”
The Three Pillars of Furno’s Vision: Standardise, Decentralise, Decarbonise
Standardise
Traditional cement plants are large, custom-built, and costly. Each one requires years of planning and billions of dollars to build. Furno’s approach is different. The Silicon Valley based startup has developed modular production units that can be built in a factory and deployed where needed. Project OZ will demonstrate that small, repeatable, standardised plants can be scaled quickly to meet market demand. This approach drives down costs and increases flexibility, making sustainable cement production more accessible.
Decentralise
Cement production is currently centralised, with large plants serving vast regions, leading to high transportation costs and logistical inefficiencies. Furno’s modular plants enable local production where cement is consumed. Project OZ will show that by decentralising cement production, Furno can reduce transportation costs and carbon emissions while improving the supply chain’s responsiveness to shifts in demand.
Decarbonise
Concrete, the second most used substance on earth, accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions. Regulatory pressure is pushing the cement industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Project OZ tackles this challenge head-on. Furno’s technology reduces CO2 emissions by replacing traditional coal-fired kilns with high-efficiency gas-based combustion — cutting fuel emissions by 70%. Additionally, Furno replaces up to 44% of limestone with up-cycled calcium-rich waste, which further reduces emissions. By 2030, Furno aims to replace 80% of traditional raw materials, achieving an 82% emissions reduction.
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